Facebook Shopping Feed: New Testing For Retailers

Introducing a Facebook Shopping Feed

Facebook is now testing a new shopping feed with the goal “to make it easier for people to discover relevant products on mobile while also driving results for businesses”.

According to the Facebook announcement, “We’ve seen that people discover new products across multiple areas on Facebook—News Feed, Pages, and Groups. In the coming weeks we’ll begin testing a single place for people to more easily discover, share and purchase products.”

A survey suggests that nearly half of Facebook’s users come to the platform to actively look for products. Facebook’s announcement is just another step in the direction of building native experiences that make it easier for people to discover products on mobile.

Facebook will begin testing a limited set of small businesses in the US who are also testing the shop section on Pages. It’s accessible from the Favorites section of the Facebook app’s navigation menu.

Users will be provided a feed of products relating to businesses chosen on their Pages and personalized with other factors including connections, likes and interests. Facebook will also explore incorporating additional content into this experience including items listed for sale in Facebook Groups.

“The biggest difference is this is it’s own shopping section. So, it brings more shopping intent to Facebook instead of having disruptive advertising.” Stephen Kerner Retail Search Manager at CPC Strategy said.

“I think this is a good test and there is definitely potential. Before this rolled out, there was no way to gauge intent or bid on intent. But, with this new search function, now retailers will have the ability to bid on intent by what someone is searching for. This could also open the door for retailers to reach new audiences.”

Additional Facebook Testing:

Canvas: Facebook’s New Native Ads

When people click on products from ads in their News Feed, the mobile websites they’re directed to often takes a while to load and are not optimized, increasing the chance that people will drop off.

That’s why Facebook is now testing a new ad experience called Canvas that helps businesses drive any advertising objective, from brand building to driving sales. They’ve been testing Canvas with a number of businesses since June.

After clicking on an ad, people will see a fast-loading, full-screen experience where they can browse through a variety of products, before going to the retailer’s website to purchase.

Buy Button: Simplifying Facebook Mobile Purchases

Facebook hasalready been testing the buy button on ads to give marketers a more seamless way to drive sales with people interested in their products. People on desktop or mobile can click the “Buy” button in ads in News Feed to purchase a product directly from a business, without leaving Facebook.

Shop Section: Expanding Facebook Pages

With over one billion people visiting Pages every month, people are already turning to Facebook Pages to learn more about businesses. That’s why Facebook is adding more ways for Page owners to showcase their products to people, including a recently announced Shop section.

Businesses can choose to have this section link to their own retail websites, or they can test a way for people to buy directly on their Pages.

According to Facebook, “Until now, Pages have been largely the same for every business. Now we’re beginning to add new sections to Pages, so different types of businesses can prominently feature the information that is most relevant to their organization.”

Facebook Updates Pages with:

Shop – The shop section will help retail businesses bring their products to the forefront of their Page.

Services – The services section will allow professional service businesses to showcase a list of their offerings at the top of their Page.

For example, a shoe store can highlight the line of products they sell, helping people get to know their business faster. The latest update hopes to improve communication between businesses and customers and provide relevant product(s) to interested mobile shoppers.

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About the AuthorTara graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.S. in Journalism / Business. Her passion for creative publishing and quality reporting landed her work opportunities at several companies in Massachusetts, New York and California. She is a leading voice behind CPC Strategy’s Blog. See all posts by this author here.

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